Challenger
by ForeverRio
Summary: Green isn't taking his first defeat as a gym leader well. Unfortunately for Red, he might actually have to speak in complete sentances to get Green out of his funk. RedxGreen, Pure fluffy stuff.


This is game verse, with highlights from the manga-verse. I dunno what either of those pairings are referred to. (Only know Silver and Gold's pairing tags.) Reviews full of feedback would be highly appreciated!

Anyway, random, mindless fluff. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own my Rapidash, my Typlosion, and my Shiny Raikou. Both the hacked one and the legally obtained one. And the rest of my Pokémon team. Sadly, I don't own Pokémon itself, because clearly I'm not swimming in billions of dollars. Or Yen.

Edited. Names are now correct. Thanks to all who pointed out the fails.

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><p>"I'm staying up here!"<p>

Red blinked, and turned around to face the mouth of the cave he'd converted into a home. Pikachu sat on his shoulder, seemingly just as startled as he was.

Green was kicking snow off the bottom of his shoes. Leaned against the rocks, he rammed them against the wall, harder than normal. He stood up, facing Red. Eevee was curled around his neck, acting as his scarf like she usually did.

"And you can't make me leave!" He snapped. Red and Pikachu blinked in unison. Red watched his rival storm past, grumbling to himself and making way to the makeshift couch. It was really just a big pile of pillows and blankets Green had dragged up here over the last year, but Red didn't have the heart to tell him he could've had Charizard airlift him an actual couch. Or more likely a bed, seeing how much Green came up here.

Red leaned a little, looking at the weather outside. As he thought, it was storming. Wind whipped snow and ice around, just as it had since this morning. It was so bad, even Red wouldn't train in it. He'd declared a day off.

He turned to follow Green, growing concerned.

Green may have come up here a lot, but he'd never done it in such a bad storm. He'd been surprised by a few of them, but he'd always complained heartily about it. He hated bad weather-and snow. Besides bad food and useless trainers, they were his favorite things to rant about.

Something had to have happened, for Green to hike up here during one of the worst storms Mount Silver had ever conquered up.

Red entered his "living room" to watch Green throw the rest of his stuff down. Evee had hopped onto the "couch", watching her trainer with concern and helping drag bits and pieces of scattered equipment around. Green never stopped muttering. His face was frozen in a snarl, and as he banged around it became clear he was in a rage.

After a moment, Eevee turned to Red and Pikachu, making concerned noises. Red nodded to her. He wasn't going to let Green hurt himself-he'd figure out what happened. Pikachu was already off his shoulder, making way to comfort the distressed Eevee.

Red followed. He placed himself behind Green, then next to, then directly in front of. Green never once looked at him. Not a nod of acknowledgement, or a spoken word. Not at him anyway. Red caught bits of ranting.

"-ucking kid, storming into my gym like he owns the place. If I had just one more potion I would've wiped the floor with him and taken that smirk clean off his face. Oh that little brat had it coming, and if I ever see him again, I'll-"

Red moved forward, gently placing his hands on top of Green's. He looked into Green's eyes, and tilted his head to the side. Green glared at him for a moment, his breath so heavy it appeared even in the cave, where the temperature was slightly higher.

They stayed like that for a moment, until Green snarled and jerked his hand out from under Red's. "It's nothing." He said, dropping down onto the couch. "Don't worry about it."

Red stared down at him as Green crossed his arms and harrumphed. They held this pose for a few moments before Red sighed and sat down gently beside Green. He leaned back on his arms, stretching his legs out, then simply stared at Green.

"I mean it, I'm fine. Go train." Green was snapping again, leg jiggling.

Red shook his head. Pikachu had successfully managed to calm down Eevee, Red hoped he'd gotten something out of her. Pikachu caught his looks and made a few sounds.

Red nodded. Whatever this was, it was serious. He wasn't going to get Green to talk through normal means. He cleared his throat.

"What happened?" Red said. His voice was monotone, scratchy from never being used, but it was loud and echoed throughout the caverns.

"I said-" Green started. Red cut him off.

"I know what you said." Red put his hand on Green's shoulder. "You're lying."

Green frowned. "Fine. I'm lying."

Red waited. He kept his hand on Green's shoulder.

Finally Green broke down. "It was this kid. Complete smartass. Comes tearing through my gym, no problem going through the minions."

Red felt a smile trying to break on his face and squashed the urge. Green always referred to (and at times, treated) the fledging trainers in his gym as minions. Professor Oak had given Green numerous speeches about it. Red and Green both thought it was uproarisly funny, even though the behavior meant that Green's gym had only a few trainers.

"He challenged me to a battle and of course, I accepted." Green clenched his teeth, as though the mere memory made him want to pummel something. "Damn kid. Told me flat out I didn't stand a chance. Made fun of my _hair,_ of all things. There is nothing wrong with my hair!"

Red had to withhold another smile. Green hadn't realized that he'd pretty much described himself-though the jerk Red had grown up with had toned down a bit. Jerk was of course a loving term-Green was very defensive of his friends and Pokémon. Even when they were still rivals, Green had helped him from time to time. When he wasn't busy insulting someone.

Green spent a few more minutes ranting. Red let him-he needed to get it out. Finally, Green spat out; "He didn't deserve the badge."

And Red understood.

"He beat you."

Green whipped his head around to face Red. "No!" He said.

Red stared at him. "Then why did he get the badge?"

Green snarled a few obscenities.

"He wiped the floor with you, didn't he?"

"Shut up!" Green said. Red let his smile show this time.

He moved his hand to Green's other shoulder, and pulled the taller trainer close. "It happens." Red said.

Green allowed the movement, though his leg kept jiggling. "No, it doesn't. You've never been defeated."

Red rolled his eyes. Despite everything, Green was still highly competitive. He wasn't just upset because he'd lost a gym battle-he was upset because he'd lost one before Red had lost his title as Champion.

"You realize that, even when we lose, we're still who we are, correct?" He rubbed small, soothing circles on Green's back. "You're still the Viridian gym leader. I'm still the Kanto Champion. Even when we're defeated, that's what we'll both be known as."

This was an exaggeration on Red's part, Green knew. Losing a gym match was nothing compared to Red losing a battle. The winner wouldn't just claim the title of Champion, the press would be flocking to them, gloating over the person who'd finally managed to defeat the ever infamous hero, Red.

"Whatever." Green said. Red continued to rub soothing circles, adding his other hand and adjusting Green's position until he was in the best place for a massage. Green didn't know here Red picked up this particular skill, but as long as it continued to work, he didn't give a damn.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of other trainers who will run from your gym crying. Someone has to win sometime, otherwise the Pokémon league will suspect you of cheating."

Green stiffened and opened his mouth to snarl. Red ran the palm of his hands down the middle of his back, touching a spot he knew was sensitive. Green groaned. Red smirked.

"You're not of course, but that's what the assumption will be. As it is, the only reason they haven't sent someone to sniff around and find out why no Viridian badges have been won is because Viridian has the reputation of being the toughest gym in Kanto." Soothing Green's ego had turned into a large part of Red's life. Usually all it took was a particular look or hand gesture, but when Green became as wired as he was now, Red had to resort to actually trying to talk him out of it.

It was annoying, but worth it.

"Whatever." Green's voice was less aggressive, and more 'I'm blowing you off" but Red smiled anyway.

He'd won. He kept massaging Green as a reward for not stubbornly going on about this for hours. The last time something of this magnitude had come up (Some green haired guy had challenged him, but instead of actually battling spent the entire time ranting about how little Green had, and how badly he treated his Pokémon.) Green had beaten the crap out of the local wildlife, and arrived screaming and howling about going on a man hunt. It had taken one of Pikachu's thundershocks and several hours of apologizing and ego soothing before Green could hold a reasonable conversation. Or tone, for that matter.

"You know, this is one of the longest conversations I've ever had with you?" Green said, much calmer. "And I mean actual conversation, not me talking at you and miraculously understanding your responses?"

It wasn't miraculous. Green had known Red for a long time. Even so, he'd had a natural knack for figuring out Red, just as Red had one for understanding Pokémon. Red shrugged.

Green looked over his shoulder. "We should do this more often. Talking," He added at Red's raised eyebrow, "not-you know. This." He wasn't going to admit that he was complaining, ranting or bitching and they both knew it. Red let it slide.

Red nodded slightly. Wither Green could see it or not, he had been talking more. Because of Green. Because recently, he had feelings that couldn't be relayed without words.

Green kept eye contact for a moment. He leaned back, twisting to kiss Red's cheek. "Thanks." He said softly. Red pressed his head against Green's.

"Anytime." For once, Red's voice wasn't monotone. Green smiled.

He moved away, then stood, sticking his arms in the air and stretching. He held out a hand to Red, to help him up.

"I may have to go back down, but I'm taking a vacation up here. And since I'm going to be up here longer than usual, I'm taking your bed." He said, smile turning ever so slowly into a smirk. Red frowned as Green pulled him up.

"Don't worry, you can sleep in it to." Green said smugly, turning to walk towards said bedroom. Red rolled his eyes . Green reached back and grabbed his arm, tugging the Champion with him.

" You're insufferable." Red muttered.

Green threw him a dazzling smirk, having returned to his usual, self assured, egotistical self.

"Love you to." He said. If it was possible for Green's level of smugness to rise, he would have achieved next level status then and there.

Pikachu shook his head, from his spot curled around Eevee on the couch.

"_Why are we stuck with idiots for humans?"_ He asked Eevee, who was giggling at their trainers actions.

"_Because they would be horribly, horribly lost without us."_ She managed to choke out, as Green's voice drifted from the door, loudly complaining that Red hogged all the pillows.

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><p>Hope ya'll liked it :D<p> 


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